Notified About

The following is the letter I e-mailed to the city regarding my personal property damage claim. The response I got was a man absolutely refusing to take responsibility for the damage, and trying to blame someone, anyone, else.

To whom it may concern,

I wish to file a claim against the City of Toronto for Personal Property Damage. My name is Allison Orr, my permanent address is 268 Reynolds St. Oakville, Ontario, L6J 3L4. My cell phone number is XXXXXXXXX. I locked my Bicycle on the long multi-bicycle rack near 1 Atlantic Ave. on the north side of Exhibition Go Station at 5:40pm on Friday Oct. 19th. I returned Monday Oct. 22nd just after noon to retrieve my bicycle and the rack had been relocated down a slight hill about 20 feet away from it's original location. My bicycle was still attached, but completely unrideable. I took it immediately to a bicycle mechanic and await an estimate for repairs. The front fork is bent beyond repair and there are a number of other damaged areas. My bicycle is my main form of transportation. I ride it from Oakville to Burlington (20km) for work a minimum of twice a week and at least an additional 10km a day most days. Without it I will require other transportation until my bicycle is in working order once again. This will also cost me a great deal of time because my bike is my fastest possible transportation around the city, and I missed a number of hours of work today dealing with this issue.

The fork on the bicycle was replaced earlier this year and cost over $100. In addition there are other repairs required, including parts and labour, plus alternate transportation, and money lost due to missed work and time set backs, I estimate this will total near $400.

There is construction going on where the rack was moved and Go Transit has confirmed that the bicycle racks are maintained there by the City of Toronto. The rack was likely relocated for the construction on site, however there was no warning given, nor were there signs posted warning not to use that rack. There were a number of other bicycles also attached that may have been damaged, however I use my bicycle more than the average bike commuter and keep it in high working order.

Shannon, my bicycle mechanic from Red Arrow Bikes can be reached at 416-464-4243. I filed a complaint with the City of Toronto by calling 311 earlier today and the reference number for that complaint is 1760186. I spoke with a woman named Jackie, and despite my frustration at the situation found her very helpful and pleasant.

Thank you for your time, I hope this matter can be dealt with promptly. If you require any additional information I can be reached at this e-mail address or on my cell phone.

This summer has seen a drastic rise in numbers and sound volume of street preachers at Yonge and Dundas square. Every weekend without fail they descend on the high traffic intersection with an arsenal of extremely loud megaphones casting warnings of fire and brimstone that can be heard from a far. They sometimes block the road or sidewalk and distract drivers while harassing tourists and locals alike. I understand that free speech is important to any democracy and people should have the right to preach their beliefs in a public forum, however they do not have the right to use electronic sound amplifications that drown out any opposing views and risk damaging people's ears. The noise by-law specifically prohibits using these megaphones but the Toronto police seem hesitant to enforce this by-law.

A busy intersection on Willowdale Avenue and the East exit of the TTC Finch Station East Parking Lot is a big danger for cars turning in and out the parking lot. There is no stop sign or traffic lights at the intersection, making it very dangerous to whoever drives because this street is extremely busy, especially at rush hour. Many times a car almost ran into me while I was turning, and I think that erecting a stop sign would benefit society and reduce the amount of car accidents in this area. I hope that this makes a difference.

The intersection of Underhill Dr & Lawrence Ave E is in desperate need of better signage. When driving southbound on Underhill Dr, to where it merges with Lawrence Ave E (in the right lane), essentially every vehicle that is turning right onto Lawrence stops at the following traffic island (see Google streetview image):

Vehicles are supposed to yield to pedestrians (if any are present). If no pedestrians are crossing the road, vehicles are to turn immediately onto Lawrence and merge further down the road. Unfortunately, most people don't seem to understand the rules of the road. They have an entire lane to themselves, which makes it easy for them to change lanes away from the intersection, but they end up stopping at this corner for an indefinite amount of time. This causes unnecessary congestion in the right hand turning lane, especially during rush hour (creating a line of cars almost as far north as Roanoke Rd, for several minutes somtmes). For some reason people want to merge lanes right at the intersection; which isn't safe or even legal. New signage or a redesign of this corner is needed and it has to be clearly decipherable, eg. 'No Stopping', 'Do not change lanes at this point', 'Yield to pedestrians, not vehicles'...or something to that effect. The status quo is simply not good enough. This corner needs to be reworked somehow to eliminate people from stopping here. This is a perpetual issue and its extremely frustrating to deal with on a regular basis.

Why aren’t the city ordinances regarding no stopping and parking in bike lanes being enforced? We have spent hundreds of thousands dollars on these lanes and cars regularly use them are parking, loading and unloading or turning lanes. I have never seen anyone getting a ticket for this. I have never seen the police (not on emergency calls who sometimes block the lanes even though there is an inlet not far away which they could park in) or parking authority patrolling for violators.

The attached picture (taken today, May 9, at approximately 4:30pm) is from one of multiple violators on the north bound side of Sherbourne between Queen and Gerrard. A man associated with the truck picture became rude and threatening when I took this picture claiming they had the right to park there because they were “men at work.” They were from a private contractor sodding private property – not on any official city business or service. He knew that the fine was $150 and stated he didn’t care – again, that “men at work” thing. There was a cab straddling the bike lane and the automobile lane in the same area. It got away before I could get a picture.

I wish I could say this was out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, it is common. It’s daily and it’s fairly constant and consistent. The other day riding southbound on Sherbourne between Bloor and Queen, there were no less than six cars and trucks blocking the bike lane. And not just on Sherbourne – but bike lanes all over the city. It’s also particularly bad on Bloor Street between Yonge and Church. Drivers stop in these no stopping zones (which should be a separate ticket from blocking the bike lane) with impunity because they know they will not be ticketed or fined. Instead, cyclists are routinely put in danger by having to merge in to vehicular traffic to get around them.

It is clear that the current city administration is hostile to alternate forms of transportation, but that is no excuse for not enforcing the laws on the books. By not enforcing bike lane ordinances, the city has spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars making the bike lanes and is now losing hundreds of thousands of dollars more in revenue from non-enforcement. At this point, bike lanes in Toronto are a complete joke. In fact, Toronto is clearly in the lead as one of the most unfriendly cycling cities.

This intersection is a nightmare in all directions affecting Bathurst.

1. Drivers are not aware the Bathurst SB left turn lane to Lakeshore East ends well behind the other two SN lanes - straight and right turn lanes - to allow the Fleet St. streetcar through. It needs to be painted better, more signs and more obvious.
2. It is unclear whether you can turn on to Lakeshore WB from SB Bathurst. It appears not but drivers do causing a bottle neck with the southbound Bathurst traffic. The sign says no turn on red light but the lines force you to turn on to Fleet WB. Clarity! Better signs and paint some lines to force traffic.
3. The lights do not have enough time to allow the long left turn line in the intersection to clear from SB Bathurst to Lakeshore East. Cars get trapped in the intersection all the time. Streetcars turning left from EB Fleet St. turning lane are blocked by cars that don't know where the lane ends or that are trapped by the signal. Chaos. Add some time between lights to allow SB traffic turning left to clear.
4. Cars turning right from WB Lakeshore on to Bathurst always turn into the middle lane instead of the right lane (as it ends In a few hundred meters). This leaves an empty right lane and causes conflict if drivers decide to use it to get ahead. This middle lane is also the proper path for the left turn from EB Fleet St. Cars run into each other here. The middle lane is for Fleet St. through fare. A solid turning lane line needs to be painted forcing traffic from WB Lakeshore to use the right lane and merge further up.
5. Cars turning left from Fleet St. EB need a line to force them into the middle lane on Bathurst. The left lane is for the Fleet St/Bathurst north streetcar. The cars drive into the left lane path then back into the middle lane of Bathurst in one turn. This could cause an accident with said streetcar or a car turning right from Lakeshore WB. Paint some turning lanes!

This intersection is the WORST anywhere and some simple painting could alleviate a lot of traffic and stress. I would add that these turning lanes I refer to need to be painted THROUGH the intersection for the paths noted above for cars AND streetcars.

Please be caution when using the new bike path on Queens Quay near Lower Jarvis. The sidewalk curb is about 1/2 inch above the bike path. It could trap your tire if you want to dodge pedestrian or the utility box.

There was only one ring & post in front of this major shopping area, and now its gone. Now there's almost no parking for bikes nearby. You ran a similar story about another Shopper's and its removal of bike parking. Hmmmm.

Steel streetcar tracks have been sitting in the westbound bicycle lane on College Street, West of University Avenue, for about one year. Presumably, they are to replace the existing tracks. But for now the bicycle lane is closed, forcing cyclists to merge into the automobile lanes. Why deliver the tracks a year before they are to be used? Or if they aren't being used, why not get rid of them? College Street is a busy bicycle thoroughfare and shutting down the lane needlessly creates a nuisance and a safety hazard for cyclists.

there is a middle school on toledo & renforth, high traffic area, but noone seems to care (school main office and teachers, parents, drivers, neighbours, city staff and police):
- renforth is a heaven for speeders (the road is imposible to cross at the times)
- there is no other way for children or adults to cross renforth in this area other than jaywalking:
- no crossing guard
- no pedestrian crossing or crosswalk
- no speed limit on renforth
- no 'school nearby' traffic sign
- not even a simle 'stop' sign
1. why an accident must happen for someone to wake up?
2. why nobody cares?
3. who is responbile for this negligence?

I have had 3 bike accidents in 15 years I have lived in Toronto. *Two* of them were on Wychwood Ave south of St. Clair W. A cyclist died here almost a year ago and there is still both street parking and dangerous disused streetcar tracts. The tracks should be removed and the streed repaved before someone else is killed.

New sidewalk was installed in front of the townhouse development at 90 - 114 Caledonia Park Road. The sidewalk at the north end of the complex abruptly ends approximately 30m from St. Clair Ave. in a one to two foot drop onto a private gravel driveway. In order for pedestrians to make it to St. Clair Ave or to Earlscourt Park across the street, they have to hop down onto the private drive, walk across to a private parking lot and walk through that to make it to the next piece of sidewalk. Alternatively, pedestrians would have to jaywalk across a busy street to the sidewalk on the opposite side. People in wheelchairs or with strollers are forced into traffic. This area will become exponentially more dangerous in winter. The sidewalk at the south end is no better as it ends at a fence. Pedestrians are literally trapped on this stretch of sidewalk unless they jaywalk or cut across private property.
The sidewalk needs to be extended to St. Clair Ave. or a crosswalk needs to be installed.